


Overworked

by A Small World (Datawolf39)



Series: Little Brother [4]
Category: Numb3rs (TV)
Genre: Accidental drop, Age Regression/De-Aging, Charlie works too hard, David is a good friend, Don works too hard, Gen, Non-Sexual Age Play, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27396613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Datawolf39/pseuds/A%20Small%20World
Summary: The mandatory sicfic.
Series: Little Brother [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1259180
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while, but I reread this series and I had this half done, so I finished it. It was supposed to be action packed, but it turned into a fluffy sickfic. Que sera sera.

Nobody was supposed to find out, it was something that had gone unspoken between the two of them, but that didn’t change the truth of the situation. The thing about even the best laid plans though, was that they could, and often did, fall apart in an instant due to something unforeseen.

They had been hiding it well actually, and had managed to have a few free evenings, and more rarely, entire days, to embrace their roles, then came a string of cases, and a workload which led to more than a few sleepless nights for the both of them.

Charlie was missing being Little, and Don was missing being his caregiver too, but there just simply wasn’t time. Soon, two months had elapsed without being able to indulge in their preferred method of stress relief, and that would have been bad enough on its own, but then, Charlie got sick.

~

It was a cold he kept telling himself, because he could not afford the luxury of resting, not now when he had so many things to do, and they all were too important to put off or foist onto someone else. He made sure to take some medicine, nothing that would cause him to get sleepy since he honestly couldn't afford that, unfortunately that meant he had to stick with mediocre pain relievers, and the less effective daytime syrup knockoff, but something was better than nothing, and he knew that eventually the medicine would get rid of the cold for him.

He kept telling himself that all the way up to the moment that a dizzy spell washed over him, he couldn't even remember what he had been talking about. He must have been out for a few minutes or more because he suddenly woke up to a throbbing headache, not at all helped by a bout of light sensitivity. His limbs felt about as strong as wet noodles, and there was a group of worried faces looking down at him.

All he wanted in that moment were Tessa and Dray, his black paci, which Don had bought to stop him from using his thumb, and Donny to tuck him in after getting him ready for bed so he could just sleep til he felt all better.

But he couldn’t have any of that, cause he was Big Charlie, and Big Charlie did work with complicated math, and helped people with homework, and helped catch criminals. Big Charlie had to take care of himself because that was what people expected of him if he wasn't caught up in an equation. Any second he would get up, and would be working again. He was Big right now, he was, and even if he wasn’t really feeling that way at the moment, it was just a brief thing, and would pass in a few seconds.

He felt his Big self slipping further away from him, no matter how much he tried to cling to it, and it was practically gone when Donny started pulling him into some sort of half-hug, and checking for a fever. He managed to open his eyes a bit, and found that the lights had been dimmed. Donn- Don was frowning, he seemed really worried. 

Charlie wanted to make the frown go away, he hated worrying his big brother, but he couldn’t do anything about it. He was too sleepy, and too Little. He had pushed way past his limits, he could admit that now, and the only thing he wanted to do was go home with Donny. He wanted to be done with being Big for a while, and his body and mind had decided to do that all on their own, no matter how hard he had fought it.

Charlie bit back a whimper as the voices hit his ears. They were whispering, but it was still so loud.

The whispers stopped, and hands were lifting him. He wasn't worried though, he trusted these arms, there was a reason he had named a duckie after him after all.

The sway of the person walking was so calming, and Charlie turned his face so that his eyes were pressed against the dark fabric of David's suit so that the light was off of his closed eyes. 

He sighed happily, feeling warm, and safe, in his friend’s arms, and there was also a bit of delight at being carried, that not even being sick could rob him of. 

~

David’s eyes met Don’s with worry. Even through his clothes he could feel the heat radiating off of the mathematician, and it was odd, the way Charlie seemed to curl into his hold so willingly.

Don lead them to a small empty lounge room, and David sat Charlie down on the sofa. 

The man whined, and fever glazed eyes were suddenly directed at him. Then he saw Don standing there, and his breathing hitched.

David thought he should leave, there was something intimate in the way they were gazing at each other, but the moment he tried, Charlie’s hand shot out, grabbing sleeve, in a clear nonverbal plea for him to stay, and he couldn’t bring himself to leave after that.

Charlie released his hold on David’s sleeve, and rubbed at his eyes sleepily. “‘M sorry.”

Don glanced at David. David looked back at him, confusion clear, and then Don sighed quietly. 

“It’s okay buddy, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Charlie sniffed. “Did. I slipped in front of ev’ryone, Donny.”

“It’s okay, buddy, you couldn’t help it.” Don said, wrapping him in a hug.

“I not feel good Donny. Took medicine an stuff but still feel icky.”

“Have you been sleeping?”

Charlie stiffened. 

That was answer enough, and the dark circles had given him away already anyway.

“Tell you what, why don’t you have a nap, while I help the others wrap up what we can for the night, and then we’ll go home. That sound good?” 

Charlie nodded sleepy. Tears ran down his flushed face, but they seemed to be more a product of tiredness than anything else. Don pushed him until he laid down, and then took off Charlie’s shoes.

“Day Day stay wif me til I sleep?” Charlie asked.

“I think that you have to ask him.”

Charlie shyly looked over at David. “Stay, Day Day?”

“Uh- yeah, I’ll stay. Just let me tell Don something, and then I’m all yours.”

“Kay,” Charlie said with a yawn.

Don pulled him to the side. “Charlie is basically a little kid right now, and I take care of him when he is like this. It’s a form of stress relief that we stumbled on, and it works for us. Do not make fun of him for this, David.”

David fixed him with a hard look. “Charlie is my friend, Don, and I would never hurt him intentionally.”

Don nodded. “I know.I just,” Don looked over at his brother, “I’m protective of him, especially when he’s like this.”

“I get it.”

“Day Day?”

“I’ll stay, Don.”

“Thanks.”

Don went over, and gently ruffled Charlie’s hair. “Be good for David okay?”

“Kay, Donny. Hurry back.”

"Of course," he answered, and w ith one last look Don headed out of the room leaving David, and Charlie alone.

David took a breath and walked over. “How are you feeling?”

“Icky.”

David let out a huff of laughter. “Sounds about right. How about some water?”

“Yes, please.”

He got a small cup, and some water from the dispenser. He thought about handing the cup over, but somehow he knew that would be a disaster, and he didn’t want to upset Charlie.

“Here, sit up a bit,” David said. He sat down, and leaned Charlie against him, so that he could hold the cup, and help him drink the water. Charlie doesn’t complain, and drinks it all. After he finishes, he lays down again while David is putting the cup on the small side table. 

David freezes for a moment, before snagging one of the throw pillows and tucking it under his friend’s head. 

Charlie sighs, curls up a bit, and moments later, he’s asleep.

David looks at Charlie. This is weird, but not in a bad way, and if it helped two of the worst workaholics that he had ever met relax, who was he to judge. The most surprising thing though is that Charlie trusts him enough to share this vulnerable side of himself, and that thought is a humbling one. 

“Somehow, I get the feeling this isn’t going to be the last time that I see you like this,” he told his sleeping friend. Charlie’s only response was to snuggle closer to him, and David smiled. He had not expected his night to take such a turn, really who would have, but he wasn't at all upset by it.


	2. Extra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small extra after Charlie gets better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to add this cause I wrote it and thought it was cute.

“Charlie, wake up, buddy, you have a visitor.”

Charlie blinked slowly. He was at Donny’s house, and he was in bed, snuggled safely with Tessa and Dray.

“Hey,” David said, poking his head into the room. 

“Day Day!” Charlie exclaims, sitting up in the bed as the agent entered the room. Don walked out of the room, leaving the two to talk while he went to get lunch started.

David smiles, and walks over, sitting on the bed.

“How are you feeling?”

“I better. Donny give me lotsa medcine, and soup.”

“I’m glad he’s been caring so well for you.”

“Donny is best, even if he can be a meanie.” Charlie said. 

“What did he do?”

“He not let me work. I not so sick no more, but he say I gotta rest more,” Charlie said grumpily.

David was just barely able to keep his composure. “I’m sure he just wants to make sure you don’t get sick again by working before you are all better.”

“I jus feel bad cause Donny caring for me. He not go work cause of me.”

“You know Don does what he thinks is best. We can take care of the case, and he can take care of you.”

“Dray an Tessa say that too,” he said, pulling his toys closer to him.

“They are very smart.”

“He not mad at me for making him not go to work?”

“Of course he isn’t, and for that matter none of us are mad at you either. You’re sick, and in no state to be alone, we all know that. You really had us worried when you passed out like that.”

“I sowrry.”

“It’s okay, next time though, just tell someone you don’t feel well,” David advised, and even as he said it, he knew it was futile. Charlie always seemed to put work ahead of his own problems, and that wasn’t something that was going to change overnight.

“I’m not very good at caring for myself huh?”

“Long time no see,” David joked.

Charlie blushed. “Sorry you had to get dragged into my... weirdness. I don’t know why I got attached to you so fast, but you don’t have to act like it isn’t weird.”

“Charlie, you are my friend, and more importantly we all have coping mechanisms, and I’m just happy you and Don found one that works so well for the both of you.”

“How are you taking all this so well?”

David shrugged. “You’re my friend,” he said again.

“Thank you David.”

“You ready for lunch buddy?” Donny asked.

Charlie nodded slipping back down at his brother's call. “Day Day stay for lunch?”

“I could eat. What are we having?”

In unison, both brothers answered, “Soup.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, I have a stuffed animal named David, (after David Tennant naturally) and I actually call him Day Day, so I kinda slipped it into this fic accidentally.


End file.
